1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voice-controlled navigation device and method, and more particularly to a navigation device being controlled via at least one voice command and then executing a navigation function when a specific voice start command is received.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Currently, to manipulate voice-control software for a navigation device, such as a global positioning system (GPS), a user has to manually set a plurality of conditions and then pushes a voice command button before his voice command can be executed. The above-described procedures are complicated and troublesome, making it inconvenient and even dangerous to use the navigation device particularly when the user is driving a car. Moreover, a user needs to particularly give a specific phrase or word as a voice command so that the voice command can be recognized by the device. However, learning and remember the specific phrase or word are definitely a burden for most users.
There is a prior art voice-controlled navigation device and method. In the method, different voice commands are preset for a target. A user is requested to input a voice command for a relatively larger range, and then input a voice command for a relatively smaller range based on the previous voice command for the larger range. Finally, a display interface follows the voice command for the smaller range to display an electronic map covering the smaller range. Therefore, navigation can be performed to locate a target within the relatively smaller range, such as in a certain section along a specified road.
The above-described prior art voice-controlled navigation device and method is disadvantageous because a user can only orally input the voice commands for the larger range and the smaller range step by step for the navigation device to display an electronic map covering a small area within the relatively smaller range. In the event the user wants to know any nearby destination, such as a gas station, a hospital, or the like, the conventional voice-controlled navigation device and method would not be able to provide such function or display such destination. Further, the conventional voice-controlled navigation device and method does not allow a user to establish and store personalized destinations, such as some traffic regulations and warning signs, including but not limited to “no left turn”, “speed camera location”, etc., that are very often seen along roads, for use as reminders in the future during driving. Moreover, the conventional voice-controlled navigation device and method does not include a specific voice start command, according to which the execution of a navigation function starts. In addition, the conventional voice-controlled navigation device and method does not allow a user to cancel a wrongly input voice command, so as to timely input a new and correct voice command.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved voice-controlled navigation device and method to overcome the drawbacks in the conventional voice-controlled navigation device and method.